The iQOO is clearly trying to make a statement with the Neo 10 and after spending some time with it, I can see why. Starting at ₹31,999, it brings serious performance, a gorgeous display, and a massive battery into the mix. From the moment I picked it up, it felt way more premium than I expected. It’s aiming to be the go-to phone for people who want flagship vibes on a budget. But with so many contenders in this segment already, the big question is: does the Neo 10 live up to its promise?
iQOO Neo 10 Review: Design
When I first picked up the iQOO Neo 10, I wasn’t expecting much—plastic phones usually don’t scream premium. But this one, ahd had me doing a double-take. It feels surprisingly solid, like it's built to take a hit. There’s a satisfying weight to it which makes it feel great to hold
On the back, we get that familiar, iQOO-eque squircle camera module, which looks straight out of the iQOO 13. I feel this gives the Neo 10 that flagship style without the flagship price.
At the bottom, there’s your usual USB-C port, SIM tray, and one half of the stereo speaker setup. Up top, we have an IR blaster, which I was surprised by. While other brands are getting rid of this feature, I am glad iQOO’s holding onto it.
At the front, we have this 6.78-inch flat display, which looks sharp and clean. It also houses a tiny hole-punch cutout for the selfie came and that lightning-fast Optical in-display fingerprint scanner. All of this is protected by Schott’s Xensation Up glass, which, in my experience, shrugs off scratches and handles drops like a pro.
The only real bummer would be that the Neo 10 has an IP65 rating. Although that’s fine, in 2025, we have dozens of budget phones, some even cheaper than the Neo 10 that are boasting an IP68 or IP69 rating. So this feels like a bit of a missed opportunity. Plus, with monsoons just peeking around the corner, I’d have liked that extra layer of peace of mind.
As for colours, I got to try the Titanium Chrome version, which looks very subtle and very slick. But if you’re all about making a statement, Inferno Red is the way to go. It’s loud, fast-looking, and those white stripes give off a great racing vibe.
iQOO Neo 10 Review: Display
After spending some time with the iQOO Neo 10, I can confidently say the display is one of the best aspects of the phone. It has a 6.78-inch AMOLED panel with a sharp 1.5K resolution and bezels so thin, they are almost non-existent. The screen actually feels far more premium than what you would expect at this price.
Now, the phone does support a 144Hz refresh rate, but it only goes up there in select apps and games. The rest of the time, it is at 120Hz. But when it does, everything feels incredibly fluid.
Where the Neo 10 really flexes is brightness. It hits 2000 nits in High Brightness Mode and can peak at a mind-blowing 5500 nits. I played a 4K HDR video on YouTube and the colours just came alive. The contrast was stunning, and that AMOLED panel brought those signature deep blacks and vivid highlights.
Daily tasks like scrolling through social media or reading texts felt extra crisp. Gaming and video content looked punchy and immersive. The screen consistently delivered rich saturation and excellent depth, making visuals pop no matter what I was doing.
I have tested a bunch of phones recently, but the Neo 10’s display stands out in a big way. It feels like the kind of screen you would find on a much more expensive device. Whether you are watching movies, playing games, or just browsing, this one does not disappoint.
iQOO Neo 10 Review: Performance
I wasn’t expecting the iQOO Neo 10 to flex this hard, but here we are. It’s powered by the Snapdragon 8s Gen 4, backed by up to 16GB of LPDDR5X Ultra RAM and 512GB of speedy UFS 4.1 storage. On paper, it sounds solid. In practice, it’s even better.
Benchmarks paint a pretty impressive picture. On AnTuTu, the Neo 10 clocked 2,096,060 points, comfortably crossing the 2 million mark. It also pulled a 3,301 in 3DMark’s Wild Life Extreme GPU test, and 187,038 in AnTuTu’s storage benchmark. These are more than just decent numbers — they put the Neo 10 right up there with some proper flagship killers.
In daily use, the phone flies. App launches are instant, multitasking is silky smooth, and everything from scrolling to switching apps feels fast and fluid. There’s zero lag, even when I have a dozen apps open in the background.
Gaming was equally impressive. With the SuperComputing Q1 chip and frame interpolation, the Neo 10 can technically push up to 144fps. However, our test unit was unable to hit 144fps even with frame interpolation on. We are waiting to hear back from iQOO about this so stay tuned for an update.
Having said that, in a quick gaming session, the phone averaged 118.5fps, with lows of 93fps, which is still very respectable.
What really surprised me, though, was the thermal control. Even under pressure, the phone only got slightly warm. Thanks to the massive 7000mm² vapour cooling chamber, it stayed comfortable throughout. The Snapdragon 8s Gen 4 usually runs hot, but iQOO clearly came prepared.
Coming to the software, the Neo 10 runs Android 15 with Funtouch OS 15, and I was pleasantly surprised by how clean it felt. There’s very little bloatware, and while the animations are smooth, they could use a bit more flair.
It’s also packed with AI features like Live Cut-out, AI Erase, Live Text, and Circle to Search, which actually come in handy.
As for updates, iQOO is also promising three years of Android updates and four years of security patches, which is solid for this price point.
Overall, the Neo 10 doesn’t just talk performance — it actually delivers without breaking a sweat.
iQOO Neo 10 Review: Camera
Let’s talk cameras, because the Neo 10 actually impressed me, considering what it costs. It packs a 50MP Sony main sensor with OIS and an 8MP ultrawide. In daylight, the photos looked crisp, colourful, and full of detail.
I loved how vibrant the shots turned out without looking overprocessed. Even at night, I managed to get some surprisingly clean photos. The colours stayed natural, and there wasn’t too much noise.
When I switched to the ultrawide lens, the detail dipped a little, especially around the edges. But the colours stayed consistent, and it didn’t go crazy with post-processing. It’s not perfect, but definitely usable.
The front camera, though, was a bit of a letdown. It captured enough detail, but for some reason, it kept giving my face this weird reddish tint, even under good lighting.
For videos, the Neo 10 shoots at 4K@60 with decent stabilisation. Everything stayed smooth throughout my tests.
iQOO Neo 10 Review: Battery
Battery life on the Neo 10 has been nothing short of impressive. With a massive 7000mAh battery under the hood, I easily got through a full day of heavy use without breaking a sweat. On some days, I even stretched it to two. That kind of consistency is rare, especially in phones that also push high refresh rates and top-tier brightness.
What really makes the experience even better is the 120W fast charging. I clocked it hitting 50 per cent in just under 20 minutes, and a full charge took around 40-45 mins.
That’s perfect for someone like me who forgets to plug in until it’s almost too late.
The phone also supports battery bypass charging, which I found super useful while gaming. It pulls power directly from the charger instead of the battery, so there’s less heat and wear during long sessions. That’s a smart move from iQOO, given how many gamers will be getting this thing.
iQOO Neo 10 Review: Verdict
After using the iQOO Neo 10 as my daily driver, it’s safe to say this phone delivers where it matters. The display is stunning, performance is snappy, battery life is rock solid, and the charging speeds are wild.
Sure, the selfie camera needs work and the IP rating could’ve been better, but for a device starting at ₹31,999, those are minor trade-offs. If you’re after flagship-level specs without blowing up your budget, the Neo 10 absolutely earns its spot on your shortlist.
